


unintended side effects

by Radio Rascal (Vagrants)



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-War, Romantic Fluff, i guess h/c counts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22152109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagrants/pseuds/Radio%20Rascal
Summary: Though Megatron and Optimus Prime have been living together for some time now, there are still things they don't know about each other. Today started off with a bit of a teachable moment.
Relationships: Megatron/Optimus Prime
Comments: 3
Kudos: 99
Collections: MegOP Week 2020





	unintended side effects

**Author's Note:**

> day 2...day 2...i think the prompt was Domestic but i'm not sure. domestic is a nebulous word so i just put them in a house and there's no action. i had one idea about them doing taxes but i'm not sure even i find taxes all that funny. i've had this basic idea for a while and meant to write anyway, though at first it was MegaShock and i just repurposed it for this event.
> 
> tomorrow is the day where i might not have something ready but i'll try. i definitely have something ready for the 8th though.

Optimus knew something was wrong as soon as they woke that morning. Megatron sat up and turned to the edge of their shared berth like he was going to stand, but he hunched over, gripped the side of the metal slab, and froze.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Megatron replied, forcing himself to his feet. His steps were tense and stiff, but they didn’t creak so they didn’t need oil.

“You look like you’re in pain,” Optimus said.

“I did not rest well.”

_ That’s not an explanation, _ he thought.  _ That’s a deflection. _ He didn’t want to press Megatron to reveal things if he was uncomfortable, though, so he let it go.

It didn’t take long until Megatron’s condition forced his hand, though. At first Optimus couldn’t identify the low, mechanical noise coming from Megatron’s shell, but after a second it became obvious that he could no longer deal with whatever was happening to him and was letting out an involuntary wheeze of agony. He leaned forward slowly, reaching out a hand to grab the wall, digging his digits in so deep that the metal dented.

“Megatron!” Optimus hopped off the berth and ran over. When Megatron growled and tried to wave him off with his free hand, Optimus caught it and grimaced back at him. “No, you can’t avoid this anymore. You can’t even move. Talk to me.”

Megatron looked at him, then craned his neck to look over his shoulder. Optimus guided him away from the wall and held him while he hobbled to their berth, even if that didn’t help much. He sank back onto the edge, shutting his optics and grabbing his knee guards, curling up into his agony. Considering what they’d been through, Optimus couldn’t imagine how much he had to be suffering to shut down like this, to look so close to collapse.

“You should lay down,” Optimus said.

Megatron shook his head sharply. “Can’t, wings,” he forced out.

“Your wings hurt?” Optimus stepped to the side to take a look. “Did you injure them?”

“They just do. It goes away.”

So it had happened before. Optimus climbed onto the berth behind Megatron and, standing up on his knees, tried to see if there was anything wrong, but even if there was he didn’t know if he’d be able to tell. He tentatively placed a hand on Megatron’s fuselage. “Does anything help it?”

“No.” Megatron paused. “K...keep talking.”

“Yeah, it’s probably good to be distracted,” Optimus said. “Do you know what causes it?”

“No…”

“How long has it been like this?”

“Since...the Allspark,” Megatron said. His voice eased as he focused on talking. “It restored my body, but…”

“I see. I’m sorry you’re hurting.” Optimus rubbed circles onto the fuselage, feeling bad that he couldn’t do more to help someone who meant so much to him. It had been a long, long time since Earth. Still, it struck Optimus as odd, because they talked about everything else that happened during that time. Why hide this? They had spoken of their battles, including that first one, the one that almost killed both of them.

_ Wait, I did this to him, in a way, _ Optimus thought, and felt a small shock in his spark.  _ Is that why he doesn’t want to talk to me about it? Does he blame me? Is he angry? _

In a couple seconds he fell silent. He continued massaging Megatron’s plating, but could think of nothing to say. His processor reexamined the way Megatron had acted—tone, posture, the look in his optics...he had to be angry. Optimus tensed and his mind wandered.

“Optimus?”

“What?” He shook his head and sighed. “Sorry. I got lost in thought. How are you feeling?”

“Better.” To demonstrate, Megatron relaxed his arms and straightened. “Thank you for staying with me.”

“You’re welcome.” Anxious thoughts nagged at him. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. There’s something I really need to ask you.” He scooted forward and sat next to Megatron, receiving a measured and calm look. Optimus almost felt silly for even thinking like that now, but he pressed on. “Are you...I don’t know, angry? Do you blame me for what happened to you?”

Megatron’s optics grew round. “Of course not.”

“Because if you do, you shouldn’t hide it.” The words came out of him faster than he expected. “People have done that to me before and they end up hating me instead of just talking, but then I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t know what’s going on in people’s heads if they don’t tell me.”

“It isn’t your fault. It’s just something that happened.” He frowned. “I was trying to kill you. It isn’t as though you had a choice.”

“I know that.”

Megatron looked at him for a second, then pulled him close. He rested his jaw on Optimus’s helmet and leaned in.

“Agh! Hey, you’re heavy!”

“And you’re comfortable.”

Optimus huffed, but settled against Megatron’s chest.

“Where did that come from?”

“Things...happened,” Optimus replied. Now he was the one hiding things. “It doesn’t actually have anything to do with you. I’ll tell you later, okay? I didn’t mean to make this about me.”

“I didn’t want to tell you because I was concerned you would blame yourself. Instead, you were worried I would blame you.”

“Heh. I guess I got a little insecure.”

“I’ll tell you when I hurt from now on, and I promise, I have never hid it from you if I have been angry.”

Optimus nodded. “You should see a doctor. I’m sure Ratchet could figure something out for you, or at least give you painkillers.”

Megatron released him, pulling away and eyeing him suspiciously. It was funny how much he could say with a look and Optimus laughed.

“What? Are you scared of doctors?”

“No.” Megatron looked away and lifted his chin proudly.

“ _ Sure _ .”

“You won’t trick me with reverse psychology, little Prime.”

“I’ve got plenty of other tricks, buckethead.”

Their relationship had its difficulties, and had not started in a good place, but that they could be like this was pretty amazing to Optimus. And he knew they’d keep growing together.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading
> 
> i don't have a justification for this headcanon i just like to harm Megatron


End file.
